Louis L'Amour in
Post-War Paris

While thumbing through some dusty 1940s magazines we would not have been surprised if we encountered a Louis L’Amour (1908 – 1988) article about various assorted Arizona hamlets like Tombstone or Flagstaff – but that was not the case; we were charmed to find this Louis L’Amour article about post-World War Two Paris, which the famed Western author witnessed first-hand while serving as junior officer in the U.S. Army.

“It is cold in Paris now. There are chill winds blowing down those wide streets. The fuel shortage is serious, and will probably continue to be so as transportation is not yet what it should be.”

“Vivid with historical background, the city somehow remains modern. It has kept step with the world without losing its beauty or its patina…Easy enough when riding along the Rue St. Antoine to forget that where the jeeps and command cars roll now, there were once Roman chariots. No corner of Paris is without its memories.”

More primary source articles about W.W. II France can be read here…